Igniter



June 1G, 1930.

' Filed May 9, 1929 v H. A. DO UGLAS IGNITER -2 sheets-sheet 1 Patented June 10, 1930 HARRY A. DOUGLAS, or BaoNsoN,xnrcH1eAN renrrnn' Appncation'ma my 9, 1929. .serial m. 361,672.

1 M invention relates to igniters, the inventlon eing of particular serv1ce` 1n connection with those igniters that are known as cigar or cigarette lighters.

. l My resent invention embraces modifica- .-.tions o features of construction of an igniter forming the subject matter of my co-pending application Serial No. 361,671, iled May 9, 1929. The igniter disclosed in my aforesaid 1Q co-pending application is inclusive of an inflammable element, a casing in which said member is removably contained, igniting mechanism in igniting relation tosaid inflammable element, and a retainer engaging and positioned by the container and in holding relation' to the aforesaid member, this retainer being shiftable to permit removal and replacement of this member, said igniting mechanism being assembled with said retainer and positioned thereby in cooperative relation with the aforesaid inflammable element. The mechanism of my present invention desirably 'includes such a retainer,

though the invention is not to be thus limited. -u The mechanism of my present invention also includes a lever pivoted upon the casing and upon the retainer, if such be employed, a spring for operating the lever and attached thereto at one side of the lever pivot, a latch upon the casing for positioning the lever against the force vof the spring, a striker coupled with the lever to be operable by the lever when the lever is released by the latch, a body .of spark producing material engageproduce sparks, and an iniiammable element in the region of said body of spark producing material to receive igniting sparks there from. In accordance with my present invention the spring which operates the lever also serves to place the latch in a lever holding osition.

T 'e invention will be more fully explained in connection with the accompanying drawings in whichFig. 1 is a view of an upper portion of the igniter of my invention, parts being shown in sectional elevation and parts in full elevation, this figure being generally` taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a sectional `view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a has a liange 6 which presses a sealing gasket able by the striker, when thus operated, to

v iew, mainly in elevation, of the igniter portlon shown in Fig. 1, a few parts being shown in section; Fig. 4 is a view in elevation ofan igniter on asmaller scale, a portion being 'shown .in section'V Fig. 5 is a topview ofthe 55 igniter shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is an end view of the structure as s own in Fig. 3; Fi 7 is a view generally tak n on line 7-7 of ig. 1; F ig. 8 isaJ sectional v ew on line 8-8 of Fig. 1 Fig. 9 is a sectional view on line 94-9 of 60 Fig. 1; Fig. 10 is a view, in elevation, of the i' preferred form of uel member, parts being broken away and 'shown insec'tion; Fig. 11 is a sectional view online 11-11 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 12 is view of part of the structure generally ta enon lline 1212`of Fig. 1.

The fuel' member illustrated is inclusive of a container 1 for the liquid fuel 2. This container has a cover 3 permanently secured thereto. This cover is furnished with an invteriorly threaded bushing 4 that passes through an opening in the `cover and receives a threaded closure plug 5. This closure plug 7 upon the bushing. Fuel is admitted to the 5 container through the. opening occupied by the plug. Fuel is discharged from the container by means of a wick 8 that reaches the bottom of the container and passes through another opening in the cover 3, this latter opening receiving another bushing 9 through which the wickfpasses. The bushing 9 has an upwardly extending slightly tapering continuation 10. lAn upright elongated bushing '11 has its lower end clinched into the border of the portion-10 that surrounds an'opening at the upper end of this portion. The part 11 snugly surrounds ythe upper end of the wick toposition it suiiciently close to the spark emanating portion of the igniting mechanism.v When containers of the construction described are carried in stock, each is supplied with a cap 12 whose skirt snugly engages the bushing portion 10 to guard against the escape of liquid fuel.

When the container is inserted within the body 13 ofthe casing of an igniter the cap 12 is removed, this cap being replaced by a snue'r 14 that isplaced in sealing engage ment with the bushing portion 10 when the 100' igniter is not in use and which is removed from such engagement when the wick is to be lighted, as will more fully hereinafter appear. The easing also includes a retainer which is preferabl in the formof a lid for the casing body. aid lid is somewhat in the form of an inverted cup whose bottom edge or rim is tightly andtelescopically received within the upper end of the casing body, this rim then engaging the bead 17 which is formed upon and about the upper end of the fuel container, said lid then preventing the container from being dis laced upwardly.- A leaf spring 18 is secured; at one end, within the casing body and upon its bottom wall, this s ring being depressed by thelid, when close through the intermediation of the fuel container to prevent the fuelcontainer from moving about within the casing, the spring compensating for some inequalities that may occur in manufacture. When the fuel container within the casing is to be replaced the lid is removed from the casing body.

striking bar and to feed the block through The retainer or lid 15 desirably constitutes 'a'carrier for all of the parts of the igniting mechanism, though the invention is not to be thus limited. The igniting mechanism illustrated is inclusive of a block 19 of pyrophoric material, preferably flint, which is normally substantially stationary with respect to the container and the wick or inflammable element 8 wherc it vissues from the container. This relationship of this block and the wick is desirably normally maintained by placing the block within a horizontallydisposed socket 20 which is formed in the front Wall portion 15 'of the lid 15. The igniting mechanism also includes a striker 21 which is preferably in the form of a bar of hard metal having a serrated face that is opposed to and engages one end of the block 19. This striking bar is received within the channel lof an arm 22that is of U-shape in cross section with the U turned ninety degrees. The striking bar is caught between the delected end ortion 23 of said arm and the tongue 24 wliich is struck from the arm into its channel. The arm 22 is moved to the right when the igniter` is used for-its purpose. It is guided in its movement, at its right hand end, by the flint block 19 and a part 1 52 of the lid. A. leaf spring 25 is anchored, at one end, to a side of the cover 15 and presses, atl its unmounted end., against the block 19 to maintain the block in engagement with the the socket 20 as the block becomes worn y said bar. The unmounted end of spring 25 may be moved to one side and downwardly, the sprin being pivotally anchored, when it is desire to replace the Hint body 19. The

' arm 22 is pivotally mounted at 26 upon the lever 27. This lever isV in the form of a bell crank having pivotal connection, at 28, with lid-15. l

A coiled spring 29 is anchored, at its front end, to the ear upon latch 30 and is attached, at its rear end, to the depending lto the contiguous upriglht side of the casing body 13 and the right and end of the lever 27 to afford a chamber in which the upper end of the wick, the bushing portion 11 and the upper part of the bushing portion 10 are received. This latter bushing portion extends through an opening in the'horizontal part of the wall portion 15', the latch being in sliding relation to this horizontal wall part. .The latch 30 is provided'with a bent lug 302 that has a portion inserted beneath the continuation 152 ofthe lid part 15 and a portion in fulcrum engagement with a side of the part 153. The spring 29 thus not only serves to operate the lever 27, as will appear, but also serves to pull upon the latch 30 in a counterclockwise direction normally to hold it above the nose 27 of the lever 27 to maintain this lever latched. When the bell crank lever 27 is held depressed by the latch 30, the snuifer 14 snugly engages the top of4 the bushing portion 10 to extinguish the iame that was reviously produced in a manner which ma Ee apparent, but which will later be describe and to prevent the evaporation and 'escape of the liquid fuel from the wick. When the latch is moved to the left to clear the nose 27 the lever is released and is turned'cou'nterclockwise by the spring 29'. When the lever is thus operated the arm 22 is moved forwardly to scrape the serrated facevof the striking bar 21 across the adjacent end of the Hint block 19. The sparks which arise at the flint block have access to the wick which is conse quently ignited.

The lever'27 is desirably of T form, the stem of the T substantially filling the slot that is enclose the snuiler and the in'lammableend of the wick.

Changes may be made without departing fromthe invention.

Having thus described my invention, I

.1. An igniter including a casinga lever pivoted u on the casing; a spring or oper-A ating the ever; a latch upon the casing for positioning the lever against the force of the spring, said spring being connected with the lever at one end and with the latch at its other end and normally Aoperating upon the latch 1,7e'2,' 1'oa to position the latchina lever-retaining po.-A sition; a' ,strikerv operable by lthe lever when the lever is released by the latch; a body of I spark producing material engageableby thev striker, when. thus operated,v to produce 4 v sparks; and an inflammable element in the v l region o f said body of spark producing material to receive ignitingsparks therefrom. 2. 'An ligniter vincluding a casing; an in- .10 termediately pivoted lever uponv the casing;

a spring for operating the'lever and attached theretoat one side ofthe lever'pivot ;v a' latch j upon the casing for positioning the lever against the force o'f the Vspring,vsaid Aspring v 15' being connected with the lever at one end and with the-latchjat its otherend and normally operating upon the latch to position the latch 1 in a lever retaining position; -a striker 0011-' pled `with the lever to be operable .by the Y 20. lever when the leveris released by the latch; v a body of spark producing material engagev able bythe striker, when thus operated, to-

4produce sparks; and an inflammable' element in theregion of lsaid body of spark j'produc'- 25 ing'mat'erial to receive igniting sparks there'- vrom.'. 3. The structure of claim 1 whereinthel 'y latch is .fulcrumed and is" turned by the spring .to lever retaining position.

l:of 4g The structure of. claim-'2 wherein the latch is fulcrnmed and is Atl'l'rn'ed by the'spring to lever-retaining position. r

.' Inwitness whereof,Ihereunto subscribe'my rnamef.-v 

